The Trial
by Umayar
Summary: Getting Temari to marry him was the easy part but Shikamaru was blissfully unaware of that. And unfortunately for him, his off-the-charts IQ failed to factor in the events that would follow. Sequel to Overture. May be slightly AU. First published in 2013. Republished without any changes.
1. Prologue

A black and green clad jounin, having black hair in a spiky ponytail, walked through the streets surrounded by towers of rock. The young man of about twenty-five followed his escort with a relaxed gait which belied the urgency of his inner thoughts. He hoped for a good rest and a chance to contemplate on the events thus far before his meeting with the allied village leader the following morning.

The ninja currently heading towards the inn was Shikamaru Nara, head of the Nara clan of Konoha and chief strategic advisor to the Hokage. He was currently providing his services for an unexpected case that had surfaced in the last few months. He was also, for the last few years, trying to prevent his mother from bringing home the first girl to receive a second glance from him as his wife and demanding that he get to work on giving her grandchildren. His top-notch strategic planning had allowed him to evade his bossy mother until last week when things had taken an unexpected turn. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, perhaps it was the heat of the desert, or perhaps it was the sight of the girl covered in blood and about to be crushed under falling rocks which compelled him to make a major decision. So, not only did he finally acknowledge his latent feelings, but – being the man of action he was – he went a step further.

Resting in a cave while being on the lookout for hostile pursuers – and in the presence of witnesses – he had asked his bloodied beloved to marry him. She had been surprised – for such an offer from the most rational man at a time when one is struggling for survival was inconceivable – but, eventually, agreed to the impromptu proposal. Yet, their current situation and the events leading up to it had forced them put aside any further deliberations on their forthcoming nuptials. However, unbeknownst to the young jounin, his intentions and resolve were going to be tested very soon.


	2. Gaara Finds Out

A young man, garbed in green robes and auburn hair covered with a hat proclaiming him to be the Kazekage, strolled leisurely through the streets of the Hidden Sand village enjoying the sights and sounds that offered him a reprieve from the gradually increasing monotony of his office. This habitual short break allowed him to forget about all the political and domestic irregularities he had to peruse hour after hour until his head was reacquainted with his pillow. Fervently clearing his thoughts of the last report he had read before exiting his office, twenty-five year old Gaara glanced around his village sighing in contentment. Today was another usual sunny and sandy day in Suna, the air filled with the bustle of the civilians going about their business and the children running around playing their make-believe games as they are wont to do. He decided to head over to a bench placed against the wall of a nearby building and covered with a canopy providing shade from the blazing sun. The village leader closed his eyes and took in the sounds and smells of his village – not that many smells remained because of the sand – as he relieved his stress to the beat of the gentle hum of his surroundings.

Nearby, two young women were talking loud enough for the Kazekage to follow their conversation.

"…and so…out of nowhere, he said 'marry me'!" One female voice said.

There was a short gasp followed by a 'no way' in another voice. Gaara assumed it belonged to the other girl.

"Yeah! You know, I think the Konoha people are a little...off...in the head...you know?" the first girl continued amidst her friend's giggles. "Anyways, at first she was quiet...really shocked! Then she said that he was joking and started scolding him! But he just looked at her and said marry me — you troublesome woman!"

Gaara's lips twitched as he was instantly reminded of a Konoha jounin who would behave like that.

"It wasn't a very romantic proposal…" he heard the first girl say after giggles from her friend had died down. "We were in the middle of a mission! A _dangerous_ mission! We were being _chased_! And she was _injured_! But Nara-san continued to say the same thing over and over again."

So it was Shikamaru Nara, the smartest jounin in Konoha. For the briefest moment, Gaara wondered about the recipient of the proposal before loud girlish giggles interrupted his thoughts.

"I suppose...in a way...it _was_ romantic." The other girl said between laughter.

Her friend, apparently, had a different opinion for after a 'hmmph' of displeasure, the eye-witness answered the Kazekage's question in a dramatic tone. "Anyway…so… _eventually_ – after _a lot_ of arguing – Temari-san _finally_ believed him and said yes!"

There was a louder squeal – almost like a shriek – as Gaara's eyes snapped open. Shikamaru Nara proposed? To Temari? That lazy ninja had the gall to propose to _his sister_? On a mission? Unforgivable!

The young leader arose from his seat thoroughly displeased with the information he had obtained on his well-deserved break. Making a quick decision, he strode towards his destination urgently, taking large steps and emanating a deadly aura causing people to step back in surprise and fear as he passed them.

Locating Kankuro in the puppet-master's workshop, he said in an authoritative tone, "Pack up. We are going to Konoha."

The Kazekage's older brother looked up from his desk where he was working on a puppet and asked alarmingly, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Pack up! I'll explain on the way." Gaara said urgently and made his way back to his office. Once inside, Gaara sent for a member of the Suna advisory council and his former teacher, Baki, and started his preparations while waiting for jounin to arrive.

"Baki! I'm going to Konoha. You're in charge." Gaara ordered as soon as the older turban-wearing jounin with half-covered face entered the Kazekage's workplace.

"W-what?" Baki sputtered, his shock and confusion at the sudden announcement visible on his face. "What's all this about?"

"It's urgent. I'll be back in a week." Gaara replied briefly as he exited the room.

"W-wait…Gaara! Gaara!" Baki called out to his leader while following him in hopes of answers but was met with a door slamming in his face.

Barely an hour after the Kazekage made the shocking discovery, one livid and one confused ninja stood at the gates of Suna dressed in their official attire.

"Wait," Kankuro said looking around. He was clad in his usual black outfit and had painted his face with purple markings. "Are there only two of us? Where is Temari?" The puppet-master inquired perplexedly.

"Patrol duty." Gaara replied with hints of anger and haste. "I don't have time for her to return. We must reach Konoha as soon as possible."

It was not the entire truth but Gaara knew his objective will be accomplished with the least resistance without his sister following him. He also knew he had to take his brother out of the village before Temari returned and figured out his plans.

"Why is that?" Kankuro probed. "Tell me what happened. And to travel with just one guard to Konoha in such…Oi! Wait! GAARA!"

Before Kankuro could expect to receive a coherent reason for a sudden trip to Konoha, his younger brother had departed in the direction of the Fire Country leaving no choice for the puppet-master except to chase an inadequately protected Kazekage.

* * *

It was past midnight, almost three days later, when Gaara arrived at the gates of Konoha with his small entourage in tow. The Konoha guards on duty were flustered at the sudden appearance of the Kazekage at such an odd time and without any prior notice. One guard scrambled to notify the Hokage while the other stepped forward to greet their guests. A few minutes later, the Kazekage and his brother were led in to the conference room where they were greeted by a half-awake white-haired Hokage and his half-awake blond protégé.

"To what do we owe this sudden visit, Kazekage-sama?" Kakashi Hatake inquired biting back a yawn behind his mask. His hastily put on formal robes and skewed hat evidenced his disturbed sleep.

"I would like to inquire about the whereabouts of Shikamaru Nara." Gaara replied getting straight to the point.

The Kazekage's audience perked up and their faces displayed their puzzlement at the request.

"If I may inquire," the Hokage said after a moment of silence, "what business do you have with Shikamaru Nara?"

Kankuro, who had been briefed on the true purpose of their visit in the last three days and currently stood beside Gaara, sighed inwardly despite his impatience. Unlike his younger brother, who seemed to have lost his levelheadedness at the news, Kankuro was aware – albeit barely – of their current situation. They were standing in front of the leader of a foreign village, demanding an official audience – in the middle of the night – for an unofficial request. The disoriented expressions he observed on his hosts' visages were understandable and Kankuro knew he was about to witness some very interesting reactions.

"He has shown interest in courting my sister." Gaara replied, his tone insinuating a grave offense to which Kakuro agreed.

Kakashi's eyes widened imperceptibly while his protégé's lips twitched upwards. Soon enough, a distinct snicker was heard from the man standing beside the Hokage before a loud voice filled up the room.

"Aren't you a bit behind, Gaara?" The blue-eyed blond said teasingly, an impish smile decorating his lips. "From what I know, they are long past 'courting'." Naruto complemented his words with a loud, boisterous laugh.

Gaara's hands clenched and tiny particles of sand surrounded them. Kankuro sensed the livid aura originating from young leader.

Kakashi sensed it too, for in the next instance, with his eyes crinkled to indicate a smile, he addressed his younger counterpart in a pacifying tone. "Isn't that a good thing, Gaara-kun?"

Gaara glared in response wordlessly yet making it painstakingly clear that it was _not_ a good thing. Kankuro followed his brother's lead but stopped after a few moments to deal with a bigger issue. He put a hand on Gaara's shoulder effectively ceasing the accumulation of sand around Gaara's hand which had started since Naruto had irritated them further. Yet, despite his anger which matched his younger brother's, Kankuro was well aware that the Kazekage losing control in the Hokage's office will just end badly and they did not even have Shukaku to take the blame.

So Kankuro tried to prevent a devastating incident – which would cremate the entirety of Konoha's administrative district – from instigating in the Hokage's conference room. With a serious face, as if he was discussing the most critical battle strategies, he said, "well, we would like to have a…chat…with him. So if you would let us meet him, we'll be on our way."

Kankuro missed neither the smirks that formed on their hosts' faces nor the anticipation dancing in their eyes when he mentioned their planned 'chat'. For a moment he thought that they would finally meet with their target, but the Hokage's next words filled him with disappointment.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Kakashi said amusedly. "You see, Shikamaru-kun is on a mission at the moment and it may take as long as a week for him to return."

"I see," came Gaara's reply laced with frustration. "In that case, we shall wait until we are able to meet him. Is that okay with you, Hokage-sama?" Gaara asked taking on his official tone with Kakashi.

"I have no objection." The Hokage replied in a similar manner. Glancing at his protégé, he continued, "Naruto will show you the inn."

"I thank you for your hospitality." Gaara said, rising from his seat and, with a bow, headed towards the door followed by his companion.

A short time later, the two brothers from Suna sat in Gaara's allocated room in the inn brooding over the unexpected turn of events. They had it all planned out before they even reached the boundaries of Fire Country. Arrive, meet target, have a 'chat', leave; the trip was supposed to last a week at most. Yet, Nara's mission had put a dent in their hastily put-together schedule.

"I guess it can't be helped." Kankuro broke the silence. "Get some sleep. We're both tired." With that, he started towards the door.

"Inform Baki that we will be delayed by a week." Gaara ordered as Kankuro crossed the threshold to the hallway.

Kankuro nodded, acknowledging the command. Turning towards his own room, he said, "Good night."

"Good night." He heard Gaara reply as the door closed.

In his own room. Kankuro readied himself for bed and lay down with a hand supporting his head and eyes facing the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim him.

It was going to be a long week.

* * *

Alone in his office, engulfed by the silence of the night, Kakashi shook his head. He did not understand the younger leader's displeasure over his sister's courtship. Shikamaru Nara was a gem of a jounin; smart, successful, and belonging to an honorable clan. People looked for opportunities to introduce their sisters and daughters to the Nara Head in hopes of forming relations with the clan. So why was it that the sand siblings, one of whom was the ruler of the Hidden Sand, made an unannounced three day journey to Konoha and asked for Shikamaru in the dead of the night? Was it because they were afraid they would lose a valuable jounin with this courtship? Long distance relationships were rarely easy and with Shikamaru serving as the Hokage's advisor, he would hardly be able to visit Suna. That meant that Temari would be the one with the travel-packed schedule which was detrimental to any ninja. It seemed like a plausible explanation. Why lose a strong ninja to exhaustion over a long-distance relationship when you can have your pick from your own village?

Glancing out the window overlooking the sleeping village, Kakashi filed these thoughts in a compartment in his mind and made his way to his residence. While no one could call him out over shirking his paperwork, he knew his assistant will chew him out if he decided to hand it over to Naruto in favor of a nap and Kakashi wanted to keep his ears intact until his retirement. Yet, as sleep forced his eyes shut, Kakashi's final thoughts were not of endless paperwork or the screeches of his assistant, rather they were of the 'chat' the Suna brothers wanted to have with his strategic advisor and what he was willing to forfeit for a chance to witness it.


	3. Temari Finds Out

On a pleasant morning almost two days later, a pony-tailed blonde-haired, green-eyed woman, dressed in a black kimono and bearing the Suna forehead protector, arrived at the gates of Konoha wearing a mask of worry and desperately trying to catch her breath. Providing her information, as protocol dictated, to the guards stationed at the main gates who looked at her in confusion mixed with apprehension, Temari inquired about the Kazekage and was directed to the inn which catered to VIPs and foreign dignitaries. She was well-acquainted with Konoha's layout — thanks to her ambassadorial missions — so without heeding to her hosts' calls, she set off towards the Kazekage's location hastily.

During her short trek, Temari thought of all the things which had plagued her these past few days during her long journey. Almost four days ago, when she arrived home from her patrol duty, she had found out that the Kazekage had departed for Konoha with only Kankuro as his guard and nobody except Baki was informed of the village leader's spontaneous expedition. The timing and lack of information regarding the trip was enough to send her mind in to overdrive and think of heaps of unlikely scenarios at the speed of light. The issue of missing children which had surfaced recently in a lot of ninja villages, the reports of human experimentation and their gruesome semi-human results which had started flowing in the last few days, combined with the Kazekage's sudden visit to an allied village filled Temari with dread regarding the news she would receive when she faced her commander. For a Kage himself to travel to another village in such times meant that the situation was ominous and she wondered if another ninja alliance was in the making to deal with the new threat.

Temari increased her speed in tune with the horridness of her thoughts but was met with disappointment when she arrived at her destination. After being informed at the inn's reception that the Kazekage had left over an hour ago with two escorts, Temari headed to the next best location — the Hokage Tower. Yet even at central administrative locale, she failed to receive any information regarding her brother's whereabouts. Exhausting the two sites where she was most likely to find Gaara, she was left with no choice but to search the village and as soon as she was assigned her customary escort, she set about her daunting task. She ran down her younger brothers, four hours later, at a souvenir shop in the commercial district of Konoha looking at oddities native to the Fire Country.

"Gaara!" Temari yelled attracting the attention of her family along with several Konoha citizens, while her chūnin escort bent against a wall clutching his legs in support as he wheezed trying to regain his breath after a punishing pursuit.

Kankuro and Gaara turned towards her with surprise etched on their faces before Kankuro asked as a confirmation, "Temari?"

"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly come here?" Temari asked in a slightly panicked tone. Noticing the curious gazes directed towards them by their onlookers, she took Gaara by the arm and led him a few feet away from the crowd. The remaining brother followed while their escorts remained a distance away offering the siblings privacy.

"Well?" She pressed when she did not get a response. "Is everything OK? Is it about the missing children? Did you find out something important? Was a Kage meeting called?" Temari was now getting anxious.

"Kage meeting? What Kage meeting?" Kankuro asked giving her a confused look.

Temari stared back at her unperturbed brother, her unease growing by the second. "I thought…may be…a Kage meeting was called. You're here to meet the Hokage, right? About the missing children problem? Did you get any new information? Even worse than we thought?"

"We're not here to meet the Hokage." Gaara answered this time, his face devoid of any expression and his manner serene.

She was taken aback by her brother's response, unable to link his words with her imagined scenarios. "Then…why —"

"We're here to meet the Nara Head." Gaara interjected.

Temari was silent for a moment trying her hardest to think of a logical reason Gaara would make a three day journey with inadequate protection during threatening times for just that objective.

"Shikamaru…why? Was it about the mission? You could have asked me…in fact it was all in my report," she said with a flustered look. Moments later, her eyes widened as alarm materialized in her voice, "did he find —"

"Temari!" Kankuro exclaimed with a firm voice garnering his sister's attention. "It wasn't. About. The mission. We wanted to talk to him about his… _proposal_." Kankuro finished making a distasteful expression at 'proposal' while crossing his arms in front of him.

Temari, who was still clutching Gaara's arm, dropped it thoroughly perplexed by their conversation. "Pro-proposal?" She asked tentatively.

Gaara followed his brother's suit and crossed him arms in front of him as he said with an impassive countenance belied by his subtly irked tone, "Yes. Proposal. His proposal which was _not_ included in that mission report you turned in."

"H-how do you know about that?" She inquired hesitantly. She had decided along with Shikamaru that they would break the news after the entire Code Yellow ordeal was over.

"We have our ways." Kankuro replied irritated and blissfully unaware that the 'way' was known as eavesdropping.

Temari took a moment to compose herself before she inquired, "So. What do you want to talk to him about his proposal?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed imperceptibly as he said, "So it _was_ true."

Temari glanced at Gaara belatedly realizing the opportunity she had missed. She said with a glare pinned at her youngest sibling, "So what if it is?"

"We want him to give up this…this…stupid idea." Kankuro replied waving a hand as he searched for a suitable word all the while maintaining his imposing stance.

"Stupid…idea?" Temari confirmed in a warning tone, enunciating each word as fury rose within her. She shifted her glare between her brothers and continued, "And _why_ is it stupid?"

"Because you are our sister." Gaara replied plainly. His expressionless face and decisive tone managed to vex her further.

"So _what_?" She bit out.

Kankuro and Gaara stared at her blankly for a few moments before Gaara said, "So we won't let him marry our sister."

"Why?" She asked, exasperated with their incomplete replies.

"Because you belong with us." Gaara answered, his manner indicating he thought of his sister as a young kid incapable of comprehending even the most obvious and logical reason.

By now Temari was fuming and it was obvious in her posture and expressions. Her brothers were finally showing their idiotic side and spouting the most nonsensical things which she had never expected to hear from them. Was this what her friends meant when they said overprotective males became boorish, meddling monkeys when it came to boyfriends? Moreover, what surprised Temari the most was that it was _her_ brothers who were acting like louts. It was a fact that they were an unorthodox family having formed concrete familial bonds for the first time after their father's demise and, although they had come to care for and support each other significantly ever since, never in her twenty-eight years did she ever think of her brothers as overprotective. Even when her friends would gather and tell stories of how their boyfriends were treated by their fathers and brothers, she always thought — and later proudly boasted amidst disbelieving snickers and comments — that she would never experience something like that. Yet, here she stood, arms crossed and feet shoulder-width apart with a frown marring her face as she glared at only two people she called family.

Failing to find a rationale for why her brothers would act like they were presently doing, she chalked it up to defective male programming and sighed in defeat. "So? Did you talk to Shikamaru?"

"No. He is on a mission." Gaara replied in his usual deadpan voice.

"But he'll be back in a few days, so we'll have a nice, long chat with him." Kankuro added his eyes shining in anticipation which gave Temari a bad feeling.

Not wanting to miss another good opportunity, Temari tried to make her siblings see reason before they embarked on a mission — she knew from stories — never had a favorable outcome. In a slightly mollifying voice, she addressed her younger siblings, "Look. Let's go home. We'll talk about this after this entire missing children crisis is over. You know, we are in Code Yellow and we have more important things to take care of —"

"This is important." Gaara interrupted.

"Yeah. We'll wait for Nara to return from his mission." Kankuro followed his younger brother's lead and asserted their decision.

"See, if Shikamaru is out on a mission, it means things are getting bad…real bad. Konoha is the most affected with this entire fiasco, and to do this right now…" Temari said uncrossing her arms in front of her while her voice took on a desperate note.

"Konoha has a lot of fine ninja," Gaara spoke pragmatically. "They can spare Nara."

"You know about Shikamaru, Gaara. He is the chief strategist! Of course Konoha needs him! And he won't have time for this right now!" Temari tried again.

"It is but a title. We have already decided we will meet Nara and we are not going to return before that." Gaara stated conclusively.

"It isn't going to change our decision." Temari countered. She was losing her patience and she knew reasoning would never work with her brothers in their current states.

"We know." Her youngest brother replied never breaking his composure. "Which is why we plan to eliminate the problem."

"If you know th — wait, what?! _Eliminate_?" She took a moment to process her brother's words before asking cautiously, "What do you mean?"

"We know the best way to stop this madness from progressing is to eliminate the source…and we plan to do exactly that." Gaara responded resolutely as Kankuro nodded beside him.

Temari gaped at her brothers for a few tense moments, her mouth forming a small 'O'.

"E-eliminate? By eliminate…do you…mean…YOU WILL _KILL_ SHIKAMARU?" she screamed the last part as she comprehended her brothers' true intentions.

Gaara nodded as if he was agreeing to a comment about the weather while Kankuro smiled in devious glee at their plot.

Temari glowered at her younger brothers boiling in rage. Out of the corner of her eye, she happened to glance at their escorts who looked deathly pale as they gaped at the Suna siblings wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Turning to face her Konoha companions, she took notice of a lot of petrified people in the busy marketplace gawking at her family with expressions of shock and horror. Temari internally groaned as she understood what was happening. A Code Yellow alert meant the village was in a state of heightened security and its citizens knew there was a good chance of attack. During this state of emergency, the Kazekage stood in the middle of Konoha's marketplace — among Konoha's citizens — threatening to kill a Konoha resident. Not just _any_ Konoha resident. The Kazekage just issued a death threat to one of the notable and highly respected clan Head who happened to be one of the highest ranking jōnin and the Hokage's strategic advisor. Were her moronic brothers trying to start a war?

She turned to her ghostly audience with an unconvicing smile plastered on her face and said in a loud, unpersuasive voice, "They…They don't mean it…hehe…don't take it seriously…hehe…" Realizing she was having an opposite effect when she saw an increase in fearful expressions instead of people returning to their businesses, she turned to her brothers and said sternly, "Let's go back to the inn for the time being. I ran all the way here and I'm tired. Let's discuss this over lunch."

"There is nothing to discuss. We already have a solution to our problem." Kankuro said matter-of-factly causing Temari to clench her fists in anger.

Barely curbing her rage and her intense desire to pummel her brother's head, Temari spoke with gritted teeth, "Let's just go and have a nice, calm lunch."

"Sure. I'm hungry too." Kankuro agreed unaffected by his sister's mood and shrugged before turning around and walking away. "I saw an interesting restaurant a while back. Let's try that."

Gaara followed his elder brother as their escorts moved back in fear. Observing the reactions of the people around them, Temari once again tried to smile and indicate that no one from Suna was trying to kill any upstanding citizen of Konoha. When she became aware that her second attempt was also a miserable failure, she shook her head in disbelief over the turn of events and followed her brothers while their escorts shadowed her mechanically quite a distance behind.

Mere hours after she was agonizing over the possible reasons which would compel Gaara to make a sudden, unannounced journey to another ninja village, Temari chuckled mirthlessly over her freshly acquired, unbelievable knowledge. Her brothers had chosen to race to Konoha not because of a threat or political issue but because of her engagement and some baseless notion which dictated that her fiancé should be deprived of his right to live. When she had imagined breaking the news to her family, she had envisioned a joyous occasion with a pleasant dinner and celebratory drinks, not the blood-fest she could now foresee should she fail to halt her brothers' stupidly concocted plans.

At least she had luck on her side. From what she learned during their enlightening conversation, Shikamaru was out on a mission and not expected back for some time. This gave her the chance to talk — or even beat — some sense in to her brothers and rid them of the idiocy bug which was feeding on their brains. Hopefully, by the time Shikamaru returned, they would be halfway back to Suna without any hints of a potential Suna-Konoha war. Exhaling loudly, Temari glanced at her brothers entering a building decorated with queer ornaments and followed them inside.

It was tough being the only sane member of the family.


	4. Shikamaru Finds Out

Things seldom go as planned and the subsequent rising sun ensured that a certain couple's schemes would be foiled. When a bright blue-eyed blond espied Shikamaru Nara exiting the Hokage's office the next afternoon, his inner prankster rose from slumber. The rumors of Gaara's supposed threat the previous day — which was currently the hot topic of Konoha — had reached the young jōnin and combined with Gaara's first meeting after his arrival in the village, Naruto was absolutely certain that an encounter between his two friends would yield interesting results. Being the helpful, compassionate soul that he was, Naruto departed with the intention of setting up the anticipated meeting between the Kazekage and the young Nara Clan Head, and should the conversation take an exciting turn, he decided it would be a bonus for his well-intended efforts.

Less than half an hour later, the news of their target's arrival were methodically presented to the Suna party instigating the two male members of the group to forcefully question the news bearer about their objective's whereabouts. Never one to abandon his friends in time of need, Naruto offered to lead the party ignoring the deathly glare directed at him by Temari which would have had any other recipient quivering in fear. For Naruto, however, the glare proved to be a stimulant exciting him further, triggering a foxy grin on his face and mischievous glint in his eyes as he set off towards the oblivious jōnin closely followed by the Suna siblings.

Nearing the unsuspecting victim of his latest antic, Naruto's heart sped up in expectation and glee. The characters were in place; all that was left was to enjoy the show.

* * *

Shikamaru Nara languidly made his way through the streets of Konoha, the pleasant hum of the village activities relaxing his adrenaline-rushed body. Even though his accomplished mission was easy, the journey and the dangers lurking between his village and destination had successfully frazzled him and he was looking forward to an afternoon of lazing. So at peace and unwary within the walls of his village was he, that he failed to notice the approaching danger until he felt a faint pressure on his feet hindering his movement. Jumping to avoid being caught by the trap, he turned around readying his battle stance and came face to face with unexpected foes. There stood, in front of him, two eerie looking wooden puppets with blue Chakra strings starting at their backs and ending at the fingertips of a war-painted Suna jōnin. Next to the puppeteer, in an authoritative stance with his arms crossed, stood an expressionless Kazekage seemingly weaponless except to those who rightly deduced the copious amounts of sand in the air to be an anomaly to Konoha's clear atmosphere. Raw hostility echoed in the foreign ninjas' manners causing even the amateur civilians to clear the street and line themselves closely against the bordering buildings to appease their curiosity.

A deathly silence ensued as the previously lively spectators looked on at the scene before them. The targeted Konoha ninja sighed. This was troublesome. All he wanted to do was head home, have a nice meal, and lounge on the porch watching the clouds drift by for the rest of the afternoon. Yet, here he stood, in his own village, near his clan compound, facing the strongest and second strongest men of Suna who made no effort to conceal their lethal intentions. Not giving him a chance to contemplate on his situation, a serious voice broke the quiet.

"Shikamaru Nara. We have learned that you have proposed to Temari. Do you wish to rescind your offer?" Gaara asked in a tone exuding authority and demanding undivided attention as befitting the station of Kazekage.

Shikamaru had already made an educated guess about the reason the two toughest ninja of Suna would come after him with intent to kill. His suspicions now confirmed, he turned to the foreign ninja ready to experience a situation he had previously witnessed.

"Troublesome," he uttered knowing he was dealing with irrational, overprotective brothers. Facing his opponents, he answered, "No."

"Wrong answer," Kankuro replied in a loud voice with barely contained enmity.

Before Shikamaru could voice another word, a spear of sand moved towards him at high speed making him jump back. His feet had barely touched the ground when he noticed one of the puppets moving towards him, a fluid coated blade extended from its arm-like fixture. Shikamaru moved sideways to dodge the sharp weapon and landed near a building causing the civilians lined up to scatter in fear. Without wasting any time, he put his hands together causing his shadow to extend from his feet branching out as it approached his opponents. The shadow caught one puppet mere moments before an extended poisoned blade would pierce the caster, and halted the Kazekage in his tracks. Kankuro had reacted quickly and managed to avoid the initial capture by moving back but was caught by the constantly extending shadow the moment his feet touched the ground. Opponents successfully immobilized, Shikamaru readied himself to continue the conversation but the sudden gathering of sand around him caused him to break his jutsu and take to higher, concealed locations to avoid immediate death.

From his new vantage point, he sighted a blonde dressed in black and carrying a large fan amidst two familiar blond Konoha residents. A loud groan sounded from him. Temari was a really troublesome woman. Even after they had decided to hold off their engagement news until he was able to send a formal proposal to her family, she had apparently not been able to contain it. Now here he was, running from her two brothers who should not have been showing such drastic reactions, nor should they have been able to find him so quickly after his entry in Konoha. He glanced back to three blonds who were now some distance away due to his continual hopping and noticed that his fiancée was being detained by his friends who seemed to bear identical impish expressions and were looking at him with far too much amusement. Instantly he knew whom to shred to pieces for the mark on his head and his spoiled afternoon. Well, Ino was off-limits but Naruto was fair game and Shikamaru decided the orange-loving blond could have Ino's share as well.

First, however, he had to survive. Taking a chance offered by the sudden break in attacks, Shikamaru started putting distance between his predators and himself. When he failed another Shadow Imitation attempt on Kankuro because of Gaara's sand, an escaping Shikamaru called out to the Sand user.

"Oi Gaara! Stop this and talk —" He was cut short, attempting to evade the metal and sand approaching him.

"Stop skipping around you shadowy bastard." Kankuro howled.

"Stop trying to capture me in your puppet!" Shikamaru countered after successfully side-stepping a pot-bellied puppet waiting to enclose him.

"You have made your choice Shikamaru Nara." Gaara said in all seriousness continuing to pursue him with his sand. "You must now endure the consequences."

"Endure the what?!" Shikamaru exclaimed in surprise. Realizing that civilized conversation was not an option after a poisoned blade whizzed past him, he uttered the single word that summed up the situation, "Troublesome…"

Breaking his pursuers' line of sight, he started formulating a plan which would allow him to live long enough to send an official proposal to Temari. He was pretty sure his prospective wife would not be too happy if he left her only family barely clinging to life, even if it was the same family that was currently out for his blood. He knew he had to find a way to end this quickly with the least amount of blood spill from his opponents if he did not want the woman to change her mind to marry him, and for that very reason, he needed to get to a place where he could assemble his thoughts with maximum concentration. Evasion proved easier than anticipated as he raced away on the rooftops that provided cover from his hunters who — Shikamaru knew — were holding back because of the civilians. Vanishing in to the shadows offered by a building amidst beckoning calls from his predators who had now lost sight of him, he started fine-tuning the plan that had already started taking shape in his brilliant mind.

* * *

Temari was livid. She was also sure that her brothers were replaced by a transformed Shukaku somewhere between here and Suna. Why else would they act like bloodthirsty savages out to kill her potential husband? For an entire day since her arrival in Konoha, she had questioned her brothers about their unyielding opposition to her engagement and every time she was met with inadequate answers. Exasperated, she wondered if her normally intelligent brothers realized they were not making any sense and did not have one coherent reason to back their disapproval. Shikamaru's untimely arrival managed to further her annoyance. When she was told he was out of the village, she had expected to have enough time to take her brothers home — kicking and screaming if required. Yet, the very next day, the slothful man showed up in the village and she wondered why, on this particular occasion, was he sufficiently motivated to finish his mission earlier than expected. The final straw had been one Naruto Uzumaki strolling towards them casually and announcing that he had seen Shikamaru in Konoha and was all too willing to lead them to him.

As she witnessed the spectacle before her with unconcealed rage, she wanted to go after the two idiots who had chased Shikamaru, their arsenal released, but was unable to do so because of her captors. Looking at her imprisoners, she was confused; instead of being worried about his well-being, Shikamaru's childhood friend and the strongest ninja in Konoha — who also happened to be Shikamaru's close friend — seemed entertained by his impending doom and she could not comprehend the reason. Did they not realize that her siblings were ready to kill him without any regards to the political implications of their actions? More than that, why was Konoha security not trying to stop a foreign ninja — a Kage who had issued a death threat the previous day — from going berserk in their village? Where was ANBU?

Freeing her mind from the unanswerable questions, Temari decided to do the job no Konoha ninja was willing to undertake — after she managed to end her current predicament. They had just caught up to Shikamaru when she was suddenly trapped by Naruto and, engrossed in the scene unfolding before her, she had missed the chance to free herself when Ino caught up to her from the other side. Now she was completely restrained and all her futile efforts to free herself from her captors — who seemed to be enjoying themselves a little too much — had reasserted her error in timing. Temari cursed silently. Ino stuck to her dominant side making her unable to make a forceful move for the fear of harming her and Naruto, whom she could not overpower easily even when unrestrained, took the other. She could have broken free with excessive force if she only had to deal with Naruto but she had to hold back because of the expecting woman beside her. She was trying to avoid a potential war and reason dictated that harming an unborn heir of a Konoha citizen was the wrong way to go about it. This time an audible curse escaped her lips as Temari realized the efficiency of her trap. May be Shikamaru had rubbed off on them.

While she was absorbed in her musings, she felt a slight loosening of her restraints. However, before she could make use of lapse in alertness, her jailers returned their focus to her making her unable to break free once again. It was then that the angry yells of her brothers ordering Shikamaru to show himself reached her ears and she knew the reason behind the momentary slip of her imprisoners' attentiveness. The smart man had probably hidden himself and was working out a strategy to deal with her brothers. She smirked at his resolve as she was reminded of a distant memory. Shikamaru had once acted like that with her; he had hidden himself in the shadows leaving her to yell at him to come out while her irritation increased with every passing second. Then he had appeared and as she had readied herself to leave him in never-ending pain, he forfeited the Chūnin Exam match stating calmly and confidently that he could not win.

A feeling of ill-ease threatened to fill up Temari despite her best efforts to quench it. Shikamaru was a levelheaded and logical man; throughout the years she had witnessed that time and time again. He was famous for being objective and thinking ahead making him a prized strategist. She was not as gifted as him but, at that moment, even she realized the ending result of the episode. There was no way Shikamaru alone could win against her brothers and, by the looks of it, he would not be getting any help either. She was sure that by now Shikamaru too would have reached the same conclusion. He had only two options: alter his choice and yield, in which case Gaara and Kankuro would back off and return as if nothing happened, or stay resolute and risk his life. Yet, living the remainder of one's life as a brutally battered body or being dead did not seem like a good end and Shikamaru always chose the path with the best outcome. Temari could not help but draw parallels with the situation all those years ago. However, unlike that time, his life was at stake. There was a possibility that in order to avoid a lost battle he would cave in to her brothers' demands. She could not blame him if he did. After all, who wanted to get killed by homicidal maniacs over a betrothal?

She could not blame him if he chose the easy way out but that did not mean she would not do it. Temari's face hardened. If he did surrender to her brothers and called off the engagement, Temari decided she would personally chop him up in to little pieces and scatter him all over Konoha without ever staining her hands. War be damned.

Suddenly, he was right there, in front of her, poised to jump on to another building. Their eyes met for a brief moment, her body tensed and her heart dropped; and then he was gone as if he never appeared. Temari's head dropped in resignation. She heard Kankuro's voice yelling at Shikamaru to stop, heard the sound of the crowd that followed their departure. She felt Naruto's strong grip release her. She was free but she did not move even as the crowd left her standing alone in the middle of the street. Her shoulders sagged. Her lips twitched. She released a breath she did not know she was holding.

There was no way Shikamaru would go back on his words.


	5. All Hell Breaks Loose

Shikamaru's ire rose with every step he took, his speed following suit. His brows were scrunched and a frown marred his face. That momentary glace at Temari as he ran from her brothers had intensified his irritation in to full-fledged rage. He saw the uncertainty she felt when their eyes met and it did not require a high IQ to correctly deduce its basis. Did she really trust him so little to even entertain the idea that he would leave her just to get her brothers off his back? The thought renewed his fury causing him squeeze his fist harder as he let out another expletive and sped up again.

The citizens of Konoha looked up in surprise at the ninja racing through rooftops pursued by two puppets, two foreign ninjas, and an abnormal amount of sand. Shikamaru paid no heed to the spectators as he single-mindedly advanced to his destination. He knew that, alone, he was no match for the two strongest Sand ninja and he had little faith he would be receiving any aid in dealing with them. His friends were having too much fun at his expense; he had a feeling anyone he asked for help would instead stand back and watch the show. He had thought of Chōji for a moment before dismissing the idea. Chōji might be his best friend and the only one willing to assist him but Shikamaru knew the fear of being chewed out by a hormonal Ino will make him apologetically decline. No matter how kind-hearted and dependable a person was, nobody wanted to deal with an upset Ino these days — especially not Chōji. Help or not, the strategist reaffirmed to himself the necessity to survive the murderous brothers so he can pull Temari up to eye level and tell her in exceedingly plain words that now that she had accepted his proposal, she was stuck with him for life.

Getting off the rooftops Shikamaru hastily made his way towards the training grounds. He knew once outside the vicinity of innocents, he would be facing the his pursuers' entire arsenal and while he did not stand a chance against them at full force, having frenzied warriors with attacking sand and poisoned puppets running around the village was not a good idea. So he brought them out to the training grounds where the foliage and shades offered slight terrain advantage. As he hid in the shadows on a tree, he noticed the displeased expressions on the Sand ninja. A low growl from Kankuro further asserted his foes' annoyance at having the Nara Head evade them for so long.

Even after assuming his thinking posture, Shikamaru had failed to come up with a good strategy to defeat his opponents. He was well-aware that his techniques were not suited for offense. He could make use of other weapons and attack but that meant severely harming his challengers and possibly even killing them. He deemed it ineffective; killing an ally — especially a high-ranking one such as the Kazekage or his right hand man — even in self-defense, was reckless in current times when they were already facing a threat. Shikamaru was also aware that Temari would not appreciate it. All he could come up with — that had a slight chance of success — during his focused strategizing session was to elude the bloodthirsty brothers until they tire or until the Konoha ninjas —including the Hokage — get over their amusement and put an end to the Kazekage and his brother's rampage. He was not optimistic that he would triumph but he was not going to go down without a fight.

Glancing at his adversaries from his hiding spot, Shikamaru noticed the sand flowing between the trees. He had two immediate objectives: do not get shut in Kankuro's puppet and evade Gaara's sand at all cost. Although he knew he could immobilize the puppets and the puppet-master from his earlier attempts, Gaara's sand rendered his efforts futile. The sand could attack at Gaara's will and restraining the sand-user did not contain it. At present, the best way to avoid the puppets was to stay away from clearings; the more trees there were the greater hindrance they presented to the puppet-master and the puppets' mobility. The sand was harder to outrun. He knew Gaara could sense his enemies using his special techniques which meant he could not stay hidden for long. This was confirmed as the surrounding sand suddenly changed its trajectory and flew towards him resembling shuriken. Shikamaru jumped from the branch he was using as a seat and headed in to the forest. The puppets, now aware of his location, were quick to follow him.

Shikamaru led the brothers deeper in to the woods. The trees grew closer together and there was no clearing in sight. This was a good chance to try and detain the puppet user. He could not use his shadow techniques effectively without giving a clear chance for Gaara to attack, so he had to make do with the tools he possessed. Gaara's sand was nearing steadily trying to detect his location. Shikamaru was in a bind. He had to move fast. Stopping at a branch, he went on the offensive. He marked Kankuro's location and threw several shuriken at the puppets distracting them. The brothers realized his whereabouts and directed their attacks at him. Shikamaru, however, had already vacated his original position and threw one chakra blade at Kankuro's shadow paralyzing him. In return, he was met with poisoned darts that he barely managed to avoid. Peeking at Kankuro's original location, he noticed that a _Black Ant_ puppet stood where the Sand jōnin should have been while Kankuro grinned malevolently from a few feet away as _Crow_ — another of Kankuro's puppets —freed the captured figure. Shikamaru jumped on to a tree branch circumventing Gaara's sand and triggering it to hunt the shadow user.

Utilizing another opening in the pursuit, he launched an unforeseen strike by aiming explosive tags at one _Black Ant_ puppet effectively splintering it to pieces. Readying himself to attempt destroying the other puppets, he spied _Scorpion_ from the corner of his eye. The very next instant, triangular blades flew towards him causing him to jump around on the tree branches to prevent a hit. The blades struck the tree trunk next to his previous site and exploded. Sand dripped on Shikamaru like rain. He gazed up and recognized it as one of Gaara's techniques. He immediately looked down to see Gaara's sand encircling his feet during his momentary lapse in attention. Swiftly, he jumped to evade capture, the sand giving chase. He used the closely positioned trees and shadows to dodge the trailing sand and the attacks of poisoned darts and exploding blades. Things had just become worse.

A short while later, Shikamaru sat panting atop a branch in the heart of the forest after he succeeded to hide from his pursuers. He knew he was fighting a losing battle and time was against him. He was already tired from the mission and the effects were starting to show unlike his opponents who looked unaffected. Every path he simulated was ending in disaster and he could not figure out how to counter his hunters. The stalemate frustrated him. He wanted to use _Shadow Sewing Technique_ on Kankuro and his puppets and the _Shadow-Neck Binding Technique_ on Gaara. Yet, he knew that, despite the effectiveness of _Shadow-Neck Binding Technique_ on Gaara being unknown, strangling the Kazekage and impaling the strongest Suna jounin was a very defective strategy. Sensing a lull in the fight, Shikamaru took up his thinking pose hoping for a bout of inspiration.

"Shikamaru!" A female voice called from some distance away. "Kankuro! Gaara! Shikamaru!"

Kankuro grunted in displeasure. Gaara remained silent. Shikamaru sighed mentally. Temari had arrived.

"Answer me, you idiots!" Temari yelled from a closer distance, agitation clear in her tone. "Shikamaru! Where are you? Answer me!"

Her commands were met with silence. Kankuro and Gaara did not want her interfering. Shikamaru was too busy thinking of a survival plan.

He heard her muffled voice say something but could not make out the words. The next moment a huge gust of wind went through forest uprooting trees in its path. Shikamaru lost his seating as the tree he was perched on tilted making him lose his balance. Righting himself against the fallen debris, he managed to jump on to a neighboring trunk before he fell to the ground. He continued avoiding the tumbling wood around him until his escape path was blocked by a displaced tree. Trying to avoid the large mass of wood from crushing him, he jumped backwards. His step hit a dislodged trunk and he stumbled over it landing on his back. A large stump fell on his right leg. Searing pain shot through him eliciting an agonizing groan. He glimpsed a heavy trunk coming towards him before a white haze blinded him to his surroundings.

"Shika…maru…" He heard a faraway murmur call him seemingly after hours of enduring excruciating pain. "Oi…Shikamaru…"

The voice seemed to be getting closer. Shikamaru opened his eyes to take in his surrounding through his dulled senses. His body seemed to be engulfed in pain and he could pinpoint his leg as the source realizing it was probably broken. The first thing he saw was a dark, rough trunk barely inches from his face.

The voice called again. In a raspy tone, he replied, "Here!"

Minutes later, he saw multiple orange blurs and the tree trunk move away from his face. He tried sitting up and succeeded, stubbornly ignoring the searing pain in his leg. He noted it was indeed caught under a stump and required an extended stay at the hospital in order to mend. He was glad it was a small stump else he would not have been left with a leg to heal. He also observed that the base of a large uprooted tree some distance away from his head had inclined the trunk near his face. He was especially grateful for that; had it not been so, not having a leg would not have mattered much.

As Naruto worked to free his leg from under the heavy base, Shikamaru thought back to his predicament and genuinely wondered about the prudence of marrying Temari. They were not even formally engaged yet and he came within an inch of his life. He shuddered to think of life after he married her. Briefly he questioned if he should withdraw; he would get out of this mess alive and he could rest easy knowing he would not be hunted down by the two strongest Sand ninja in the future. Yet even before he gazed in to the worry-filled green eyes that appeared beside him, heard the soft, caring voice calling out his name, and felt the gentle hands gingerly touch his injured leg, he chastised himself for giving in to fatigue and entertaining the previous notions. Nevertheless, his overflowing love for the woman could not alter reality and when Shikamaru sat up with Naruto's help, he wondered if he was secretly a masochist.

He cautiously moved to get a comfortable sitting position and winced as pain shot through his leg.

"Are you OK?" Temari asked in a concerned voice. He just nodded.

A jeering laugh reached his ears and he felt Temari leave him on the forest ground. His eyes followed her while Naruto supported his back. She stood facing her younger brothers, her body tense and hands fisted. Gaara stood expressionless as usual with his arms crossed over his chest. Kankuro stood in a similar pose, his demeanor exuding contentment and a smug grin plastered on his face.

"YOU!" Temari started, her pitch too high and uncomfortable. "WHY WERE YOU GOING AFTER SHIKAMARU AS IF HIS HEAD HAD THE HIGHEST BOUNTY IN THE BINGO BOOK? LOOK AT HIM! HE'S INJURED AND BOTH OF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!" She finished pointing at Shikamaru.

Kankuro and Gaara just stared at the woman infuriating her further. "WELL? DON'T YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?" She asked angrily.

Kankuro shrugged. Gaara did not reply. Temari took a deep breath and asked dangerously, "Give me one good reason for _why_ you went after Shikamaru like blood-thirsty barbarians!"

"He asked you to marry him." Gaara replied as if it explained everything.

Temari stared at him for a moment before urging him to continue, "So?"

"So we told him he can't…well showed him." Kankuro answered this time with a shrug and a gratified smile.

Temari took another deep breath trying to control her fury from spilling out again. "And why can't he do that?"

"Because you are our sister." Gaara presented another vague answer as if it was the most logical reason.

Temari was shifting her glares between her brothers. "You keep saying that! You've been saying that since yesterday and it makes. NO. SENSE! What does being your sister have anything to do with Shikamaru marrying me?"

"It makes sense! You're our sister and you can't marry him!" Kankuro answered using Gaara's inadequate reasoning with a frown on his face, his arms now uncrossed.

Temari huffed angrily. Taking a deep breath, she faced her brothers again, "Why? …Is it because he is from Konoha?" She finished, her face thoughtful.

"His affiliation has nothing to do with it. We won't let you marry him even if he was from Suna." Gaara explained.

There was a pause following which Temari asked in a low voice, "Is it because of him…as a person?"

Both Gaara and Kankuro shook their heads in the negative.

"So," she continued. "You wouldn't let me marry anyone from Suna either…regardless of who they are?"

Her brothers concurred.

She asked hesitantly, "So…you… _never_ want me to marry?"

Gaara and Kankuro nodded. Silence stretched in the forest. Shikarmaru and Naruto looked on in interest.

"You imbeciles!" Temari said, her pitch rising with every word. "I have been a ninja for almost _eighteen_ years and you choose to show your overbearing protectiveness right when I find someone to marry? You didn't even care if I went out with a guy before now! What did you think I would do if you simply said that I can't marry anyone? Nod my head and sit like some meek little girl in a corner?"

"Well—"Kankuro started to say but was cut off by Temari .

"It was rhetorical, you pea-brained moron!" She said in annoyance.

Naruto snickered and Shikamaru smirked. Temari looked like a mother scolding her children.

"You do realize I don't have to deal with you at all! I can just elope with Shikamaru and be done with it!" She continued angrily.

Shikamaru's head snapped to Temari, his eyes wide in astonishment. The woman was supposed to be placating her brothers not antagonizing them. Gaara's eyes narrowed as his sand inched towards Shikamaru. Suddenly, Temari was armed and addressed her brother in a low, threatening voice, "Back off Gaara. I know your weakness and I can kill you easily. Then I will leave Suna and marry Shikamaru and you will be dead."

Naruto snorted. Shikamaru groaned and hid his face in his hand. Did she just hint that she will kill the Kazekage, flee Suna, become a missing-nin, and then join the Nara clan? Was she trying to solve the problem or worsen it?

Following her threatening announcement, everything happened in quick succession. Kankuro assembled _Black Ant_ , _Crow_ and _Scorpion_ , Temari opened her fan, and Gaara unfolded his arms, pointing one hand at Shikamaru aiming his sand, and said, "That is unacceptable."

"Try it, just try it Gaara!" Temari dared him in a low voice causing everyone to ready their attacks.

"Wait! Just…wait!" Shikarmaru interrupted facing the sand siblings before things could escalate, causing his audience to face him. He continued to explain calmly trying to diffuse the situation. "We won't elope. _No one_ is eloping. Temari and I will marry in the traditional way. And both of you should calm down a little and stop trying to kill me."

Shikamaru knew about overprotective brothers having witnessed Ino's brother previously, but Temari's siblings crossed all boundaries and resorted to blatant hostility. For a few moments everything went still. Then, as if affected by Shikamaru's words, Temari addressed her brothers, "He's right. Both of you need to back off. I'll tell you now, if you kill Shikamaru, I'll just find another boyfriend. If you kill him too, I'll find another. And if you'll kill him as well, I'll just find another!"

Kankuro and Gaara looked at their sister with a slightly sickening expression and although Shikamaru could understand why she was saying it, he did not like that he was made out to be so easily replaceable.

She continued with a slightly smug expression, "Umm-hmm, and if you don't stop, I'll just leave the village and find a new boyfriend…or better yet, I'll kill you, leave the village, and _then_ find a new boyfriend. I think if you back off now, you get a pretty good deal. I give you my permission to kill him if I ever complain about him."

Naruto let out a laugh and Shikamaru groaned loudly. Was he supposed to be the scapegoat in any case?

Temari's brothers reluctantly pulled back after a moment of contemplation causing her to smirk with pride. "So?" she asked. "You'll accept that we are getting married and stop trying to kill him? Or I'll just go ahead and do as I said." She ended with a warning.

Kankuro and Gaara looked at each other and then slowly nodded to Temari who grinned at her victory. Shikamaru figured they gave in because dealing with him was easier than finding Temari's new boyfriends and finishing them off. He was willing — _bound_ — to follow traditions. Her other boyfriends might be impulsive. Also, he was certain her brothers knew Temari would come after them with a vengeance should they kill her fiancé and she can be very scary when angry. He sighed. All that mattered was that he would be able to marry Temari and he would ensure she never gets a chance to find that other boyfriend she mentioned. More than confronting troublesome, irrational brothers, Shikamaru was irritated at the thought of another being amorous with _his_ Temari.

"Good," Temari said. "Let's head back. We need to go to the hospital. I want him to continue putting food on the table once we're married." She finished looking at Shikamaru as if he was at fault for an accident she caused.

Her brothers put away their weapons and started to leave when she called out to them, "Where do you think you are going?"

"Back to the village," Kankuro replied.

"No, you're not!" Temari replied firmly. She looked at her brother and instructed sternly. "Kankuro, you help carry Shikamaru to the Konoha hospital. Give him your shoulder!"

Shikamaru looked at Temari in shock. Kankuro opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Temari firmly saying, "Do it!"

"There's no need for that." Shikamaru said quickly as Naruto offered him support and held him up. All faces turned to look at him questioningly.

"These two," he pointed at Gaara and Kankuro, "tried to kill me just moments ago. I'm not stupid enough to believe that Kankuro would not stab me with a poisoned kunai while offering me support."

Kankuro smirked, his expression insinuating his intentions to do something similar. Temari frowned, opening her mouth to say something before changing her mind.

"Fine!" She said irritably. Pointing to her brothers, she ordered, "You two! March! And as soon as we get Shikamaru to the hospital, we are going back to Suna. Don't think I won't make good on my threat if I find you have been bullying Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru scowled at the suggestion that he needed her to protect him or that he could be easily bullied but he remained silent. His was barely keeping himself from whimpering in pain and getting to the hospital was a priority at present. He saw the younger Suna siblings begrudgingly start towards the village and Temari followed behind them.

In an exasperated voice, she gave her brothers a push and yelled, "Move it! Don't slow us down!"

Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief as he started following the Sand siblings while being supported by Naruto. He would live — for now. May be he should tighten the security around his compound just in case Temari's threats did not convince her brothers. The real problem was the visit to Suna to deliver the official proposal. He was hesitant of making the trip dreading that he would have to deal with the situation all over again. It was too late now. He had already promised a traditional wedding and there was no chance of backing out. Besides, he could not imagine any woman beside Temari with whom he was prepared to spend his life. The entire situation was taxing.

During their trek back to the village, Shikamaru unenthusiastically acknowledged an earlier observation. When he had proposed, Naruto told him that he was choosing a woman very much like his mother. Then, the Nara Clan Head had scoffed at his blond friend. Now, when he considered Temari's recent actions, he realized his mother and Temari would get along very nicely. As he looked at the back of the chiding woman walking ahead, he realized he was getting a very bossy, nagging wife — the type he had sworn to avoid — and two crazy brothers who came bundled with the package.

Shaking his head, he deliberated on his future. His life was going to get very troublesome, but he was not willing to change it for the world. May be, subconsciously, he _was_ a masochist.

* * *

In the years to come, Shikamaru would often be stopped by harried, bullied ninja in the middle of the street complaining about a blonde, bossy Nara. They would ask him if a laidback, brilliant strategist like him always had problems with his wife. He would smirk reminiscently as one distinct memory would surface and with a sympathetic glance at his harassed enquirers, he would attempt to pacify them, "Just one."

 **THE END**


End file.
